Our Team

Lacey Bixler, MS, RD/LD, CDE
Clinical Trials Manager

Lacey graduated from Oklahoma State University with a Bachelor of Science in Nutritional Sciences with a concentration in Dietetics. She also obtained a Master of Science in Healthcare Administration. After coordinating clinical trials for 6 years, Lacey now manages all aspects of our clinical trials operation. Lacey is the main contact for pharmaceutical sponsored trial start-up as well as contract and budget negotiation. Lacey holds a state license as a registered dietitian and received her Certificate in Diabetes Education (CDE) in 2012. As a dietitian and CDE, Lacey is able to provide nutritional counseling for protocols that require this area of expertise.

In addition to coordinating clinical trials, Jessica fulfills the role of a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator for protocols requiring diabetes education and diet education. Jessica obtained her Bachelor of Science in Nutritional Sciences from Oklahoma State University and Master of Science in Dietetics from Sam Houston State University. Jessica is a licensed dietitian through the Oklahoma State Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision.

Jennifer Salazar, MPH
Clinical Research Coordinator

Jennifer joined Harold Hamm Diabetes Center in 2010 as a lab assistant and has worked on 15 studies in areas including type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, painful diabetic neuropathy and Cushing’s disease. She has 3 years of experience as a skilled phlebotomist and assists the clinical research coordinators with blood draws, lab processing, handling bio hazardous material, collecting patient vital signs, dispensing medication, processing safety reports and following Good Clinical Practice and OSHA guidelines. Jennifer has worked with several central laboratories including Covance CLS, Quest Diagnostics, ICON Central Laboratories, Quintiles Laboratories and Cirion Central Laboratory.

Jennifer graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a Bachelor of Art in Anthropology with an emphasis on Biological Anthropology. She is currently working on a Master of Public Health degree at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. Jennifer has 3 years of experience in the field of HIV/AIDS advocacy and education. Her research interests include Diabetes mellitus, HIV/AIDS and epidemiology of both chronic and infectious diseases.

Cathy Carmichael
IRB Administrator

Cathy holds a Bachelors in Administrative Leadership from the University of Oklahoma. She started her career in child nutrition within the public school system before turning her attention to clinical research. In her past role as a regulatory specialist, Cathy maintained regulatory documents for up to 20 clinical trials at any given time. She was responsible for the organization and submission of various new protocols to the Institutional Review Board (IRB), all while serving as study coordinator for a post-market survey study of battery packs for an artificial heart.

Cathy’s next role was as the sole manager of an IRB department. She served as an IRB voting member, managed submissions for 120 active clinical trials, and was responsible for verifying completion per the organization’s policies and timelines. Her experience includes a working knowledge and understanding of study protocols, patient informed consent forms, Good Clinical Practice (GCP), financial conflict, determining minimal risk, and best practices for protecting the rights, safety and welfare of human subjects in a clinical trial. Cathy takes pride and ownership of maintaining clear and concise records.

Cathy joined the team at Harold Hamm Diabetes Center in 2014.

Tawny Pantoja-Tucker
Project Assistant

Tawny joined Harold Hamm Diabetes Center in 2011. She has 6 years of experience working in clinical trials on the Health Sciences Center campus. She assists the coordinators with blood draws, lab processing, handling bio-hazardous material, collecting patient vital signs, dispensing medication, data entry, and following Good Clinical Practice and OSHA guidelines.

Wendy Ritchlin-Keller joined Harold Hamm Diabetes Center in 2013 and works as a Medical Assistant. She has over 7 years of experience working in clinical settings. She assists the clinical research coordinators with blood draws, lab processing, handling bio-hazardous material, collecting patient vital signs, dispensing medication, and following Good Clinical Practice and OSHA guidelines.

Wendy received her Associates of Applied Science from Oklahoma Health Academy. Her interests include Type I diabetes research, diabetes education, and community outreach for patients with or recently diagnosed with Type I Juvenile Diabetes.